Emergencies

If you have a dental emergency, please contact our office at 253-863-0444. After hours, patients of record can reach Dr. Edlund at 253-219-3182 or Dr. VanDyk at 253-381-1116. Use the information provided below to care for your emergency temporarily, until help is available.

Toothache

Rinse the mouth with warm water to clean the tooth of debris and foodstuff. Make sure food or foreign objects aren’t lodged around the tooth by using dental floss after brushing around the area. Take an over-the-counter analgesic and contact our office.

Traumatically Broken Tooth

Rinse your mouth with warm water to keep the area clean. Use cold compresses on the area to keep swelling down and call our office as soon as possible.

Wisdom Tooth Pain

Rinse with salt water and take an over-the-counter analgesic. Contact our office for an evaluation.

Abscessed Tooth With Swelling and/or Fever; Constant Severe Pain and Pressure

Contact our office immediately. This type of discomfort indicates you may require antibiotics and possibly a root canal.

Knocked Out Tooth

It is important to retrieve the tooth, hold it by the top or crown, and rise off the root of the tooth if it is dirty. Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. If possible, put the tooth back in its socket. If that isn’t possible, put the tooth in a container with milk or water and call our office as soon as possible. Eliminate hot, cold and sweet things from your diet. Shield the area with soft wax.

Temporary Crown Loose or Off

Use Vaseline to temporarily replace it. Call our office.

TMJ Pain

Take an over-the-counter analgesic, maintain a soft diet, and use warm, moist heat as needed. Call our office at your earliest convenience.

Bleeding Gums

Rinse with baking soda, salt water, or hydrogen peroxide.

Erupting Teeth

Use Anbesol gel on the tissues or have the child bite gently down on an ice cold washcloth to soothe the pain.

Sensitivity to Hot and Cold Foods after a Filling or Crown

After a dental procedure, the nerves in your teeth may be inflamed, making them sensitive to temperature extremes. If the sensitivity doesn’t begin to lessen within 72 hours, please notify our office.